Philipp Lahm: Manuel Neuer is Bayern’s ‘grizzly bear’. This is why he's special

Manuel Neuer and Philipp Lahm played together 291 times for Germany and Bayern Munich Illustration: Eamonn Dalton / The Athletic; Joern Pollex/Bongarts/Getty Images; Team 2 Sportphoto/ullstein bild via Getty Images Share full articleAs has been the case for almost two decades, the football world is marvelling at Manuel Neuer. Yet again. His performance in Bayern Munich’s 2-1 victory at the Bernabeu in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid was fantastic. And, for reasons I’ll explain, it reminded me of two other matches from his past. Firstly, the Champions League final during the 2019-20 Covid-19-affected season, which Bayern won 1-0 against Paris Saint-Germain and which depended upon his saves from Neymar and Kylian Mbappe. Secondly, I am reminded of the 2014 World Cup final, which Germany won after extra time against Argentina, during which he didn’t have to save a single shot, but which perfectly showed where some of his value lies. Neuer intimidates strikers — he affects their quality of finishing. Against Neuer, it’s not enough to take an 80 per cent risk with your shot, not even 100 per cent — you have to go for 110 per cent. Accurate or powerful? A striker doesn’t ask himself that question. With Neuer, you need both to score and often to be perfect. And so some shots go wide. Or over. Or too close to him. In Rio de Janeiro for that 2014 final, it was Lionel Messi and Gonzalo Higuain who aimed so precisely that they missed goals they would so often have scored. In Madrid last week, Mbappe and Vinicius Junior shot wide during the course of the match. Neuer’s saves earlier in the game left their mark on them. Neuer is a once-in-a-century goalkeeper, blessed with all the talents and attributes required for his position: jumping ability, agility, reflexes, physicality and responsiveness. He possesses charisma, a commanding presence and a great commitment to his profession. And at 40, as he showed last week, he is still capable of peak performances. My first proper impression of him was at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. At the time, he was still playing for Schalke 04. I was fascinated by how much confidence he had at 24. While many goalkeepers — even the veterans — were complaining about the behaviour of the famous Jabulani ball, he seemed to have no problem at all. He was not fazed; it didn’t affect him. When he joined Bayern in 2011, it was clear to us what an exceptional goalkeeper he is. One with whom you win a lot. One you’re happy to have behind you. Manuel has the very best attributes. His physique is tailor-made for the sport. He is 1.93 metres (6ft 4in) tall, weighs 95 kilograms, and is also extremely agile and fast. One aspect of his goalkeeping technique particularly struck me: his rocket-like thrust from a crouching position, flat into the corner, right up to the post. It’s very rare to have that much power. Think of his saves at the Bernabeu last week, the two from Mbappe: one in the first half, one in the second. Look how quick across the goal he still is and the angle at which he moves. He is Mr Unbeatable. From distance, there was really no point in even trying to shoot. As a striker, you’re facing a grizzly bear. At the same time, Manuel is a goalkeeper who does without showmanship and frills. He doesn’t make unnecessary dives, nor does he produce theatrics or spectacular moves just for show. His style was straightforward, in the tradition of Edwin van der Sar. If a ball was saveable, he just saved it in the most efficient way possible. I remember there being doubts about how he used his feet and how far out of his goal he would advance, just because it was so unfamiliar. He reinvented it. I remember the legendary round-of-16 match against Algeria at the 2014 World Cup, when his heatmap went viral because he had received and given passes almost everywhere within our own half. Twelve years later, at the Bernabeu, you saw the old libero again at the end of the match, reacting as quickly as ever and defusing the pressure. Manuel is a keeper who wanted to be an active part of the game. It’s a cliche, but he acts almost like an extra outfield player, who is equally comfortable on his right and his left foot. We could build up play calmly from the back with him because his passes ensured his team-mates weren’t immediately put under pressure. With a goalkeeper like Manuel, a team is much more comfortable playing through him in tight situations. We had that confidence in him and the option that he provided in almost any situation. He changed the structure of our game, which particularly suited Pep Guardiola during his time at Bayern from 2013 to 2016. He accepted that mistakes would occasionally happen with this approach, but never allowed them to affect him. His role in the build-up play was also crucial. When he caught the ball, he would sprint to the edge of the penalty area and launch counter-attacks with long throws. With fast players like Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery, this proved highly effective too. I would also like to emphasise that Manuel is a team player. That is not a given for a goalkeeper. He is courageous, ambitious and self-assured, but never arrogant. That might not be the perception of him, but it’s true. He encourages his team-mates; he doesn’t berate them. He behaves in a down-to-earth way towards those around him. He doesn’t treat opponents as if they are inferior. He also doesn’t lose his cool in confrontational situations. Again, that’s not often noticed, but think of that clash with Antonio Rudiger last week (the Real Madrid centre-back attempted to block Neuer’s path as he prepared to get the ball back in play). Some goalkeepers would have reacted to that or allowed it to ruffle them and impact their performance. What happens next? I don’t know what decisions Manuel will make about his future. Eventually, everyone has to accept their expiration date. I do not know how he feels about it. I am not aware of any comments he has made on the matter, either. But the Neuer of today is certainly already lacking 10 to 15 per cent of his former physicality. In the Bundesliga, this is occasionally a topic of discussion, most recently during the 3-2 win in Freiburg, when a misjudgement cost Bayern one goal and a fumble at a set piece led to another. And, if you look more closely at his performance in Madrid, there were no ‘impossible’ saves among his collection. His strengths were his absolute calm, his presence and his concentration. Many goalkeepers react incorrectly, especially in big games. But that is precisely when Manuel shows his true class. It is this quality that helps teams win titles, even now. I am curious to see his successor, who will likely be Bayern’s current backup, Jonas Urbig. The 22-year-old has excellent potential, which he has demonstrated in several matches. He’s also excellent with the ball at his feet. But it remains to be seen how he will fill Manuel’s shoes. It’s almost an impossible challenge for the club. Continuity is especially important in the goalkeeper position because you can’t rotate players there as you can on the pitch. Having a clear first-choice keeper fosters trust and stability, and Bayern’s best goalkeepers have defined eras — pillars of stability. Sepp Maier, Oliver Kahn and Neuer have spent almost half a century between the posts for Bayern between them. Someone like Manuel Neuer, of course, doesn’t come along every day. He ranks among the very greatest in football history, alongside Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, and he really should have won the Ballon d’Or at some point. Who could have disagreed with that? Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Philipp Lahm is a World Cup-winning former Germany international and captain of Bayern Munich. The full-back won eight Bundesliga titles with the Bavarian club, and the 2013 Champions League, and was capped 113 times by his country with his last appearance coming in the 2014 World Cup final as he lifted the trophy. He joined The Athletic as a columnist in 2025